Bill Clinton rallies voters for Hillary in Somerset

Former President Bill Clinton said his wife is better prepared than he is to lead the country at this time.

Clinton made the comments in Somerset Friday while campaigning for his wife, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton. Arriving at Somerset Area High School an hour and 15 minutes late, he was greeted in the gymnasium by approximately 800 people chanting, “Bill, Bill, Bill.”

“It’s people like you who kept her in this race,” Clinton told the crowd. “Aren’t you glad you are able to have a voice?”

Clinton talked off-the-cuff for about 30 minutes, discussing his wife’s plans for clean energy, job creation, repairing the economy, universal health care and making higher education affordable. He paced the stage, engaging the crowd with every point he made.

Before he got to the focus of his wife’s campaign, he addressed a comment made by his daughter, Chelsea, at an earlier campaign stop. While in Indiana, she was asked if her mother would make a better president than her father, and she said, “Yes.” The former commander-in-chief agreed with his daughter.

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“She would be the best president for this moment in time,” he said. “I agree with my daughter: For this time she is better prepared.”

As he continued to speak, the crowd, which was on its feet taking photos and video of the former president, started to take their seats. The crowd was attentive, cheering every time he gave a reason why they should make his wife the first female president of the United States.

When talking about energy, Clinton said that of the three presidential candidates, Hillary was the only one who voted against President Bush’s energy bill. He also discussed making cars that get 100 miles per gallon more affordable.

“Every time I say this I lose one half of the crowd,” he said amid laughter.

He said the technology is available and Hillary has a plan to make it affordable.

“If we can beat the world to the moon, we can beat the world to clean coal and a car battery,” he said.

When Clinton asked the crowd if they knew anyone without health care insurance, nearly everyone in the gym raised a hand. Hillary Clinton’s plan includes letting people buy into the federal health care plan that covers her own family.

With teachers and students amongst the attendees, Clinton addressed No Child Left Behind, telling them that “it isn’t working.”

“Teachers hate it, parents hate it, principals hate it and after a few years students begin learning less,” he said.

Hillary wants to bring the United States up to the best international standards for education, her husband said. She also wants the government to lend money for college.

Clinton said that his wife is not ready to back out of the race, despite pleas from within the party to do so.

“Don’t let anyone tell you she can’t win,” he said.

He said when someone tells someone else they should drop out, in politics it only means one thing:

“Cause they are afraid you won’t,” he told the crowd. “But she will win if you help her.”

The former president left to a standing ovation.

Mark Gross, high school principal, said he was trilled that a former president came to his school.

“I’m more excited for the students,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for the community.”

Before Clinton spoke, Democratic county commissioners John Vatavuk and Pamela Tokar-Ickes endorsed Hillary for president.

“She will be the next president,” Tokar-Ickes told the crowd.

“This is a historic day for Somerset County.”

The crowd continued to cheer as Vatavuk borrowed a quote from Saturday Night Live’s Amy Poehler.

“SNL said it best,” he said. “What would be so wrong with two intellectual people in the White House working together for the good of the country? Two for the price of one.”

He said Hillary is the best candidate to bring the Democrats back to the White House

“She’s the best one to beat Sen. John McBush,” he said, tying the Republican presidential candidate to the current president. “I’m asking you now to go out on Tuesday and vote for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Clinton’s visit to Somerset was part of a tour that also included stops in Moon Township, Connellsville, Fort Washington, Lansdale and Philadelphia. Somerset was the third stop on the tour.

This is not the last time a member of the Clinton family will visit the region before Tuesday’s primary. On Sunday, Hillary Clinton is scheduled to attend a rally with U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, at Greater Johnstown High School along Central Avenue. The doors will open at 2:30 p.m. and the rally begins at 4:30.